Hotel prices are skyrocketing as Americans flock to hot spots to watch Monday’s solar eclipse.
Susan Hochman of New York City said she has been planning a trip to see the event for years. CBS News She’s willing to pay $650 for just one night at a Best Western hotel upstate.
Where is Saranac Lake? path of wholeness In the case of a solar eclipse, Adirondack Daily Times I will report it. It is predicted that it will only take 3-4 minutes for the village to completely collapse, but demand for accommodation is still high.
“I thought this was crazy,” Hochman said of the hotel’s rates, which can be as little as $99 during off-season periods. “The $650 rate Best Western offered almost killed me, but at least I could stay the night I needed.”
She had even booked the room for October 2023 in advance of the price hike, but to no avail.
“Even though I thought about it in advance, I didn’t plan any further in advance than I had to,” she said. She says the price hikes for eclipses are “extremely crazy.”
Saranac Waterfront Lodge is another popular spot for eclipse fans, with rates starting at $700 per night with a two-night minimum.
The luxury resort also offers rooms with eclipse lakeside views for $2,400, which drops to just $131 the next day.
Lodge representatives said guests began booking rooms a year in advance.
The Hampton Inn in Carbondale, Illinois, also in the path of the eclipse, will be fully booked on Sunday and Monday nights.
“We have been fully booked for months,” the hotel told CBS.
Even Airbnb has felt the surge, with the platform reporting a 1,000 percent increase in inquiries for lodging in the 115-mile-wide stretch of territory that stretches from Texas to Maine.
Hotel reservations for the solar eclipse. pic.twitter.com/lTcw3fLLVX
— PHILOSOPHY ON X (@philosophytweet) April 5, 2024
Ticket prices have similarly increased, with the average price for a flight to Dallas-Fort Worth on April 7 being $1,900, according to data from travel site Hopper viewed by CBS.
People reacting to the price gouging took to social media to share their confusion and point out the exorbitant amount of money being spent on the eclipse.
“Seriously, what’s going on with this eclipse drama? More than a million people are expected to visit Niagara Falls. There are local maps showing road closures in every city. Hotels Rooms cost over $10,000 a night. There will be a band playing and fireworks on the night of the eclipse,” wrote Canadian user X. “Make it meaningful.”
Seriously, what’s going on with this eclipse drama? More than 1 million people are expected to visit Niagara Falls. There are local maps showing road closures in every city. Hotel rooms cost over $10,000 a night. There will be bands and fireworks on the night of the eclipse..which makes sense.. pic.twitter.com/yC3f6A5bxl
— Jennifer from Canada (@cdntradegrljenn) April 5, 2024
Another X user from New York said, “The eclipse coverage is really annoying because buying a hotel or airline BnB for $4,000 is crazy.”
Spending $4,000 on a hotel or Airbnb is outrageous, so the reports about this solar eclipse are really annoying… pic.twitter.com/NVLhpun3iC
— Janelle 🖤 (@JanelleKendraa) April 6, 2024
